How does modern psychology define "evil"?

Question

Do psycholoy experts have a way of defining "evil" or are some people simply too violent?

Answer 1

Modern psychology does not use the term evil - contrary to opinionated persons, this is only because the word implies some real concept external to the person, and as an unmeasureable unverifiable concept it has been superseded by much better words like 'unhelpful' for abnormal behaviour, and 'dangerous' for dangerous behaviour.

Note: I would like to point out at this point that having no definition of evil does NOT mean that it does not exist. All it means is that we don't have any psychiatrically useful definition, and that is the very limit of what it means.

As you can see, calling peoples bahaviour what it is is much more helpful than assuming that there is some 'thing', 'evil' which infests the person.

Modern psychiatry is about curing people. To do that you have to find effective techniques, and to do that you need statistics and good definitions, so much more specific words are used.

There are those who think that psychology is about babying the patient. They could not be more wrong - the only thing modern psychology cares about is RESULTS. It now teaches realistic thinking.

In answer to the second part of your question, some people are too violent, or too poor at self-control, to be a part of society, and are insitutionalised. This is not because they are 'evil' (whatever that means - there may be many bad things in life but I am yet to encounter an objective and good definition of evil).

Just because you lost the bit of your brain in a car accident that keeps a lid in temper does not mean that you are a bad person though, but it will necessetate your bieng put in an institution.

Answer 2

Modern psycchology doesn't define evil. They don't even think there is such a things as right or wrong. We don't have wrong we just have "lifestyle choices". There are no such things as morals because morals can hurt someones feelings by labeling them as "bad" and we won't want anyone to feel bad.

Answer 3

poltentially harmful acts.